To Build A Home
by Panbe Oni Dasha
Summary: There will always be a home somewhere for someone. Lightning just doesn't seem to remember. Oneshot.


**A/N: **I like perspective sort of stories right now. I have no idea what they're called (so I just called them perspective stories) but they're like when a character expresses a lot of their feelings, thoughts and opinions, giving more insight into how they feel. I saw Lightning as an intricate character- always keeping to herself, selfless, trying hard to forget- so I did this. I don't really care if it's crap, I just wanted to write this.

Oh, by the way, this story is meant to be short sentences. Lightning seems to be the person who has the short, simple, straight-forward answers.

**WARNINGS:** Nothing, really. No violence, sex, drugs, whatever. It's just a short little ficcy. Maybe some characters seem OC, but I don't know.

**Pairings:** Whatever you like.

**Rating:** K

**Word Count:** 969 (including lyrics)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters, Final Fantasy XIII or any others of the series, the song (which is _To Build A Home _by The Cinematic Orchestra) or pretty much anything else. I made up the hometown- it's not real or in FFXIII.

Enjoy.

* * *

_**There is a house built out of stone  
Wooden floors, walls and window sills...  
Tables and chairs worn by all of the dust…  
This is a place where I don't feel alone  
This is a place where I feel at home...**_

Lightning does not remember home.

Nor does she remember her real name- the one she abandoned to mature into an adult, despite Serah's constant warnings.

She doesn't remember what it felt like to be with her mother and father, embraced by the warmth of their love.

She… doesn't even remember their names.

How could she?

She was only fifteen.

_Why them?_

She was only fifteen and they were gone.

_Why didn't I listen, Serah?_

She was only fifteen when she chose to forget.

_I wish I could remember…_

Lightning was formed that day.

_You, me, everything._

Cocoon wept in terror.

_  
__**Cause, I built a home  
for you  
for me  
Until it disappeared  
from me  
from you  
And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust...**_

"Lightning! Look!" Said girl scowled, her blue eyes flashing over to the strawberry blonde female who was waving at her with tremendous excitement.

_What now? _She thought, ambling over to her sister who was pointing out into the distance. Raising a questioning eyebrow when she met her at the hill, she just giggled and pointed out into the distance, her finger landing on a destroyed house surrounded by flowers, birds chirping around the roof on the tree which stood nearby, the suns rays glistening off the broken glass of the windows giving it almost a beautiful yet depressing appearance.

It was so much like a fairytale and a horror at the same time.

"Home! There's our home!"

Lightning froze.

_Home… _

"Home?" The word was foreign to her. She tasted it on her tongue. It was almost thrilling and nostalgic, but she still could not remember clearly, much to her dismay.

"Let's go closer!" Serah suggest happily, pulling her older sister down the hill, not listening to Snow's cries to slow down and wait for them or Hope's soft paddling of feet behind them, followed by Sazh's hopping steps and Vanille's cute little tapping against the soft, fresh grass.

Lightning willingly let herself be tugged along, much too dazed to walk by herself. All she could think of right now is that she was home… even though she did not feel like she was at home at all.

It…

It felt like…

It felt she was being dragged into the past.

She did not like that.

_  
__**  
Out in the garden where we planted the seeds  
There is a tree as old as me  
Branches were sewn by the colour of green  
Ground had arose and passed it's knees**_

"Lightning, you see this? This is where I grew the flowers! Remember? The ones you hated so much?"

_Serah…_

"Oh! Here is the tree! You remember it, right? It used have a tyre tied onto with a rope, like a swing! You used love it so much but you never told anyone!"

_I… I… I'm trying…_

"Wow! Look, Light! There's the hill! Heh, heh. Remember when you pushed that bully down the hill and he went crying to his mummy? Haha!"

_I… I wish I could…_

"Oh, and here's… here's where mum used to take us swimming. It's still so pretty!"

_Why… why can't I…?_

"Remember?"

_No. I don't._

"You… you do remember, right?"

_I'm so, so sorry Serah. _

_**By the cracks of the skin I climbed to the top  
I climbed the tree to see the world  
When the gusts came around to blow me down  
I held on as tightly as you held onto me  
I held on as tightly as you held onto me...**_

Serah did not come back.

She stayed at their home and Snow stayed with her.

She would come back, they knew.

Just not right now.

Lightning, although as unfazed as she seemed, felt responsible. She had forced her mind to forget but, in the process, had turned herself into some kind of mindless monster- no past, no memories, no family. Even worse, she had joined the army, turning herself into more of fiend, killing, fighting and destroying other people and their lives.

She had disappointed Serah, forgetting their past together. All their memories over the childhood years they had formed together were gone, and she knew she couldn't get them back.

Never.

She heard a voice from behind her. "Lightning?"

Hope.

"What?" She replied scathingly, glaring the platinum-haired boy who had just sat down on the hill next to her.

He frowned. "Are you alright?"

"Just _peachy_."

He scoffed, although it sounded more at of humour than disbelief. "Lightning… I…"

She sighed, her voice low and hushed as she spoke, "Get to the point."

"Lightning… I'm… we're here for you, you know? We can help you. We can help you remember." He spoke reassuringly, as if talking to a child, placing his hand on her shoulder.

_I know._

"We'll work together. We'll find your past and your memories!"

_Would you help me… if you knew…?_

"Snow, Sazh, Vanille, Serah, me and you. All of us. Together."

_If you knew me… would you really?_

"Lightning?"

_I'm so, so sorry everyone. _

_Mum… _

_Dad…_

_Serah…_

_I…_

_I let you down._

_I've destroyed our home._

"Lightning…?"

She looked up slowly, watching Hope with a curious intensity.

"All of us? Together?" She spoke unsurely, the words rolling off her tongue in a strange pattern.

He grinned. "Hell yeah!"

_Home…_

_I'll rebuild you…_

_With everyone…_

_Serah…_

_Snow…_

_Hope…_

_Vanille…_

_Sazh…_

_I'll rebuild my memories._

"Together…" Lightning repeated, a smile tugging on her lips.

_I'll do it for everyone._

_**Cause, I built a home  
for you  
for me  
Until it disappeared  
from me  
from you  
And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust...**_

* * *

**A/N: **Well, I'd like to claim I know heaps about FFXIII storyline right now but I don't. Hopefully this was close enough to what the trailers have been saying, with all the Lightning and Serah stuff.


End file.
